Tag: World Cup

The 5 Things Needed To Win The World Cup…And Succeed At Writing

I know a lot of people watch soccer field battles going on around the globe. Everyone has their favorite team and I’m sure plenty of friendly wagers are being placed on who will ultimately win the World Cup each year.

Being the writer I am and not a huge follower of ANY sport, I found myself analyzing some soccer games from an entirely different viewpoint and discovered there are a number of reasons a particular team came out on top each time.

1. SKILL

These teams are not amateurs but seasoned professional athletes. They spent a lot of time honing their skills and any victories earned have come from hard work at perfecting their craft. Writers prepare for the challenge of winning at the publication game by studying and fine tuning the art of storytelling until their skills as a writer are razor sharp.

2. SPORTSMANSHIP

Most of the time you will see athletes act in a respectful and courteous manner, even when they lose. They can still feel a disappointing loss while congratulating others on a well earned win. Writers who whine about a negative response from a publisher or agent sometimes forget the walls have ears and others are watching…and many will be looking for a professional response at all times.

3. TEAMWORK

World Cups are never won by ONE person. It takes a group of individuals depending on each other to help and support one another all the way to the top of their game. Writers can depend on peer groups, critique groups, agents, editors, and publishers as well as friends and family to help them along the road to publication. And when the time is right, those same writers should lend a helping hand to those following in their footsteps.

4. PERSEVERANCE

I wonder how many times the players on a soccer team have missed a goal during practice? How many times they have made a misstep and fallen? Did they just lie there, drowning in their tears of frustration or did they get up and try again until they succeeded? There will ALWAYS be writer’s block, rejection letters, poor sales, etc. It is what we writers DO when that happens which determines our success at our chosen career. Whether we become a door mat or get back on our feet separates the winners from the losers at this writing game.

5. LUCK

Despite all the other areas a world class team may excel in, there will still always be a level of pure luck in claiming that World Cup trophy. All the stars need to be in alignment and somebody needs to be holding that lucky rabbit’s foot because when all is said and done, soccer is still just a game and there are no guarantees in sports. It’s the same with writing world. Writers can’t control being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time but they CAN increase their chances of winning the writing jackpot if they perfect the other areas…

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International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), is now available in eBook and print form from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and other online retailers.